Revista Digital Universitaria ISSN: 1607 - 6079 | Publicación mensual | 1 de noviembre de 2015 vol.16, No.11
ABSTRACT
Plant diseases are a limiting factor for the production of agriculture food around the world. The control methods are mainly based on the use of chemicals that are toxic to the environment and human health; on the other hand, the excessive use of these products creates a resistance in the causative agents of the disease, which can cause an increase in dosage and cost of production.
Currently, other alternatives are sought to chemical control, one of these is called biological control, which involves the application of natural living organisms able to combat plant pathogens, as in the case of certain bacteria. Among the bacteria there are actinomycetes, which some species have antimicrobial activity against certain phytopathogenic. Their mode of action is through the production of antibiotics, enzymes and other bioactive compounds that inhibit the germination and growth of some agents cause of disease in plants.
Due to these characteristics, actinomycetes from the rhizosphere of Agave were isolated, and they presented antimicrobial activity in vitro. Twelve strains that showed inhibition against phytopathogenic organism Phytophthora capsici were selected and some of them showed 100% of inhibition. For this reason, it is considered that the actinomycetes could be an important tool in the biological control for their use against agricultural plants diseases. The results motivate further studies, mainly for evaluation in planta.
Keywords: actinomycetes, biological control, phytopathogens, antibiotics, microbial antagonism.
Fight Between Microbes: a Tool for Plant Disease Biocontrol
Alfredo Reyes Tena, Gabriel Rincón Eníquez, Luis López Pérez, Zahaed Evangelista Martínez, Evangelina Esmeralda Quiñones AguilarCurrently, other alternatives are sought to chemical control, one of these is called biological control, which involves the application of natural living organisms able to combat plant pathogens, as in the case of certain bacteria. Among the bacteria there are actinomycetes, which some species have antimicrobial activity against certain phytopathogenic. Their mode of action is through the production of antibiotics, enzymes and other bioactive compounds that inhibit the germination and growth of some agents cause of disease in plants.
Due to these characteristics, actinomycetes from the rhizosphere of Agave were isolated, and they presented antimicrobial activity in vitro. Twelve strains that showed inhibition against phytopathogenic organism Phytophthora capsici were selected and some of them showed 100% of inhibition. For this reason, it is considered that the actinomycetes could be an important tool in the biological control for their use against agricultural plants diseases. The results motivate further studies, mainly for evaluation in planta.
Keywords: actinomycetes, biological control, phytopathogens, antibiotics, microbial antagonism.